Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2011-12: Adam Carlson played Junior Gold hockey after being cut from the Edina HS varsity team as a senior, leading Edina’s Junior Gold team to a Minnesota state championship.

2012-13: Carlson appeared in one game as the third goalie for the North Iowa Bulls in the NA3HL and played for the Steele County Blades in the team’s first season in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. He had a 3.14 goals against and .914 save percentage in 34 games for Steele County. The Blades finished fifth, upsetting fourth-place Maple Grove in the playoff quarterfinals before being eliminated in the semifinals. Carlson had a 4.05 goals against and .903 save percentage in five playoff games.

2013-14: Carlson played for the Coulee Region Chill in the North American Hockey League, sharing the goaltending duties with former Stillwater HS goalie Blake Cates. He was 13-12-1 with one shutout and had a 2.67 goals against and .919 save percentage in 32 games. The Chill finished fifth in the Midwest Division, one point behind Kenai River for the final playoff spot. Carlson committed to playing college hockey at Mercyhurst College in 2015-16.

2014-15: Carlson played in 49 of 60 games for Coulee Region in his second season with the Chill. One of the top goaltenders in the NAHL, he was 25-15-9 with six shutouts and had a 2.44 goals against and .930 save percentage. Coulee Region finished third in the Midwest Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Carlson was 2-2 with a 4.87 goals against and .864 save percentage in five playoff games.

2015-16: Carlson played in 17 games for Mercyhurst College as a freshman, splitting the goaltending duties with sophomore Brandon Wildung. He was 7-7-3 and had a 2.85 goals against and .919 save percentage. The Lakers finished fourth in Atlantic Hockey before being swept by fifth-place RIT in a first-round quarterfinal series. Carlson stopped 29 of 31 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Tigers in the first game of the series in his final game for Mercyhurst. He signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals as an undrafted free agent in March 2016.

Photo: Washington Capitals prospect Stanislav Galiev spent most of the 2015-16 season with the big club, but as a healthy scratch. (courtesy David Hahn/Icon Sportswire)

The Washington Capitals season once again came to a premature end in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That heartbreak could lead to NHL opportunities next season for a handful of prospects, including young winder Jakub Vrana.

A naturally-gifted Czech, Vrana highlights the Capitals end-of-season prospect awards, even though he dealt with a wrist injury and surgery this season. Read more»